This is the first of a series of national summaries that will be coming out throughout May (and into June), just for a bit of depth.
May 22, 2010
Ligue 1
Olympique Lyonnais coasted to a six point edge of OM in France’s top division, where the surprise of the year was the disappointing third place finish by Paris Saint-Germain, despite the team from the capital scoring the most goals and allowing the fewest in the league. In fact, Saint-Germain only qualified for the Euro Champions Cup over Saint-Etienne due to goal differential.
On the final day of the season, Stade Rennais beat USBCO 1-0, ensuring that they joining Saint-Etienne in the EURO Cup next year along with Monaco, while also forcing USBCO into the relegation zone, along with LOSC Lille Métropole, and Montpellier Hérault SC
Top Goalscorer: 27 Mevlüt Erdinç (Paris Saint-Germain)
Top Rated Player: 7.66 Yoann Gourcuff (Girondins Bordeaux)
Ligue 2
FC Metz, Angers SCO, and FC Nantes gained promotion into Ligue 1, while Nîmes Olympique, FC Istres OP, and AC Arles Avignon face relegation. Arles Avignon were particularly horrible, winning only four games out of their thirty-eight.
Top Goalscorer: 29 Thiago Ribeiro (RC Strasbourg)
Top Rated Player: 7.77 Marcus Mokaké (CS Sedan Ardennes)
French National
Arles Avignon were outdone by Stade Plabennécois, who managed only a single victory on the season, a 2-1 victory over US Luzenac which must have been quite an embarrassment. Joining them in relegation were SO Cassis-Carnoux, EFC Fréjus Saint-Raphaël, and AS Moulins. At the top of the table, ESTAC, FC Gueugnon, and Amiens SC Football all escape into Ligue 2 next year.
Top Goalscorer: 21 Demba Touré (Stade de Reims)
Top Rated Player: 7.68 Abdoulaye Keita (AS Beauvais Oise) & Abdeslam Akouzar (ESTAC)
Girondins Bordeaux 23 year old midfielder, Yoann Gourcuff. Best player in Ligue 1 this season, cementing his place for France in the upcoming World Cup.
Veteran Cameroonian international Marcus Mokaké was the best player in Ligue 2 in 2009/10.
Demba Touré of Stade de Reins led the French National League with 21 goals.
MKNN 